Following his Oscar-nominated role in Minari and scene-stealing part in Nope, Steven Yeun is continuing to show his range as he is now looking to add a Marvel movie to his resume. Sources tell Deadline, Yeun is set to join Marvel Studios’ Thunderbolts, in a part that is not only significant to this film but could also play a role going forward in future films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

He joins an ensemble that was announced during Disney’s D23 event last year that includes Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Sebastian Stan as Winter Soldier, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, Wyatt Russell as US Agent, Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost and Olga Kurylenko as Taskmaster. Ayo Edebiri also joined the ensemble in an undisclosed role.

The film will bow on July 26, 2024. Marvel had no comment. [More at Source]

Walking Dead alum Steven Yeun snagged an Oscar nomination on Monday for his performance in Minari. The actor’s nod was an historic one: Yeun becomes the first Asian-American performer to ever be recognized in the in the Lead Actor category. (View complete nominations list here.)

Shortly after getting killed off Walking Dead in 2016, Yeun opened up about the professional frustration he experienced during his six-year run on the AMC zombie drama, telling Slate he “felt beige with Glenn,” adding, “That was a little bit of the frustration that I could never explain to the wider society, to fans of the show… It’s like: nice guy, dependable, supportive, benign — beige. And as a Korean man, I am not beige.”

Yeun was quick to note that he was nonetheless “incredibly grateful” for his time on Walking Dead. “Did I have a wonderful time on that show? Yeah!” he maintained. “I wouldn’t take that experience back at all. I made lifelong friendships. I got to learn so much. But I will say that I felt cramped. I felt like there wasn’t space for me to fully spread all of who I was, and that was partly due to me, too, because when I started, all I was trying to do was to work within the parameters that they were giving me. And then, over time, I just outgrew it.” [Source]

David and Nathan Zellner will direct Alpha Gang, with Andrea Riseborough, Jon Hamm, Nicholas Hoult, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Mackenzie Davis, Sofia Boutella and Steven Yeun starring. Protagonist Pictures is handling international sales with CAA Media Finance handling North American sales. Pic will be unveiled at virtual Cannes and shooting will commence in 2021 in Eastern Europe.

They look and sound human, but Alpha Gang are aliens, sent on a mission to conquer Earth. Armed and dangerous, they show no mercy, until they catch the most toxic, contagious human disease of all: emotion. Their plan for world domination is in danger of derailing once they start to feel joy, fear, empathy, and – worst of all – love… But hopefully they can still annihilate mankind before it’s too late.

The Zellner Brothers will direct and produce from the script written by David Zellner. Adele Romanski and Sara Murphy of Pastel will produce. [Source]